Spain is one of the most biodiversity-rich countries in the European Union. Situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, Spain contains four of the EU’s nine biogeographic regions (Atlantic, Alpine, Mediterranean and Macaronesian), supporting the coexistence of a wide variety of plant and animal species.
Spain’s rich landscapes and abundant wildlife naturally attract large numbers of visitors seeking to enjoy the beauty of its parks. Protected areas are becoming increasingly popular destinations with visitors to Spain’s national parks increasing by 85% in the last two decades, reaching more than 16 million visitors in 2024. As visitor numbers continue to grow, it is vital to manage their potential negative impacts to prevent the degradation of the very natural values that draw them. Supporting innovative means to measure and mitigate negative impacts from protected area visitors is key to ensuring a balance between their recreational use and the successful conservation of the natural values they were designed to safeguard.
The Tech4Nature Spanish flagship is helping parks meet the challenge of balancing outdoors recreation with nature conservation by using technology to better understand and manage visitor impacts on biodiversity. The project is designing and testing innovative digital solutions in two pilot protected areas: Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac Natural Park and Sierra Nevada National and Natural Park.
PA Category: Category V (Natural Park)
Site area (ha): 13’694
Green List status: None
Site natural values: The park is characterised by a unique Mediterranean mountain landscape of steep peaks, abrupt cliffs, and reddish conglomerate rock formations. These landforms create a striking contrast with the green pine and holm oak forests that colonize its valleys and slopes. The park hosts around 200 species of vertebrates, including birds of prey, salamanders, and roe deer, as well as numerous endemic cave–dwelling invertebrates thriving among more than 300 caves and chasms carved into the massif.
Site cultural and recreational values: Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac was declared the first natural park in Spain in 1972. The park preserves a rich cultural heritage shaped by centuries of human presence. Its most emblematic landmark is the 11th-century Romanesque monastery of Sant Llorenç del Munt. In addition, the park is a major outdoor recreation destination offering hiking routes, guided activities, and scenic viewpoints. Its rocky landscape makes it a popular area for climbing, and the presence of over 300 caves provides exceptional opportunities for caving.
PA Category: Category II (National Park), Category V (Natural Park)
Site area (ha): 85,883 ha (National Park), 86,432 (Natural Park)
Green List status: Green Listed
Site natural values: The park is a diverse mountain environment, with landscapes ranging from Mediterranean foothills to high‑mountain glacial landscapes. It is home to over 2,000 catalogued plant species, representing one of the highest concentrations of endemic plants in Europe, including the emblematic Sierra Nevada violet and the snow star. A particularly distinctive ecosystem is the borreguiles, high‑mountain wet meadows nourished by melting snow. These wet alpine grasslands play a key ecological role, supporting specialised plants and invertebrates.
Site cultural and recreational values: The park preserves a rich cultural landscape shaped by traditional mountain villages, historic land use patterns, and longstanding pastoral systems, which remain integral to the area’s identity. At the same time, the park offers wide-ranging leisure opportunities, including extensive hiking networks and access to dramatic high mountain viewpoints.
The Tech4Nature Spanish flagship is developing tailored technological solutions to inform strengthened visitor management in protected areas.
During its first phase (2021-2024), Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac, was selected as the Flagship’s pilot site. The aim was to improve the monitoring of a breeding pair of the endangered Bonelli’s eagles while monitoring the impact of visitor practices on the species’ behaviour. A technological setup was developed, consisting of three cameras with microphones, two GPS trackers and a software equipped with metrics and alerts.
The second phase of Tech4Nature Spain (2024-2026) is building on the efforts of Phase I to continue improving conservation and visitor management in Spanish protected areas. In this new phase, the project is testing experimental low-cost tech solutions for visitor-wildlife monitoring in two protected areas:
Since these solutions may collect personal data—such as images and audio recordings—it is essential to ensure compliance with legal requirements and ethical standards. The project has conducted a study on the legal and ethical implications of visitor-wildlife monitoring technologies, which will be synthesised into practical guidelines for practitioners.
By developing responsible technological solutions that follow legal and ethical safeguards, the project is helping inform management decisions that foster more sustainable visitor behaviour in protected areas.
Sant Llorenç shows how cameras and sensors are supporting conservation – News | IUCN
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Tecnologia per fer compatibles ratpenats amb l’espeleologia a Sant Llorenç
Prova pilot a Sant Llorenç del Munt per protegir la fauna i la flora a través de la tecnologia
